Stretching tool



May 1, 1923. I 1,453,564

7 A. G. G. GUENTHER V STRETCHING TOOL Filed July 25, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet l V? 355 5 kg 2 May 1, 1923. p 1,453,564

A. G. G. GUENTHER STRETCHING TOOL Filed July 25. 1918 2 Sheeffi 'iheet 2 Patented ay 1; 1923..

ARTHUR G; GUENTHER, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIGN ODE SYSTEM, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

STRETCHING TOOL.

Application filed July 25,

tool of extreme simplicity in construction and-operation which may be employed efliciently to stretch box strap applied about a box or other package. k To permit an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated one embodiment thereofin the accompanying drawings, but

without thereby limlting the invention to' such embodiment;

bodiment of the invention-is shown in Figs.

In the drawings:-

.Fig. 1 is across sectional elevation of the tool on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in cross section;

Fig. 3 is-a plan view of the tool;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional plan view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fi 5 is a cross sectional end elevation on the line 5-5 of Fig.1.

In the particular illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a portion of the box or other package to be strapped isrepresented by the reference character 1, the package being surrounded by box strapping 2, whose ends 3 and 4 are overlapped. The tool selected as an illustrative em- 1 and 2 as applied to the strap 3 and 4. The tool comprises a lower gripping element 5 placed underneath the overlapped strap ends, and a feed wheel 6 resting upon them. The stretching operation is performed by the mtermittent rotation of the feed wheel 6 in the direction indicated by: .the arrow in Fig, l-under the influence 'sult sing to feed the upper strap end forward while the lower is' held stationary with respect to the gripper 5, and thereby to.

flanges 11 and at its'forward end upon the 1918. Serial No. 246,665.

gripper element 5, which constitutes a sort of rocking foot, and for this reason has an extremely advantageous operation, as will bedescribedl J ournalled in the main frame 10 at its rounded forward end 12 is the shaft 13 which carries welded thereto at one end, and over the gripper element 5,-the feed wheel 6. The strap ends are gripped between gripper element 5.

above and behind the shaft 13. These curved.

arms 17projectforwardly at their upper ends as indicated at 18 for convenient manual manipulation, and at their lower ends are curved forwardly and formed integrally with the gripper 5, which directly underlies the shaft 13. The ripper 5 is recessed,

and inset therein is a ardened steel, toothed,

plate 20 secured thereto by a screw 21. Since the feed wheel 6 islikeWisetoothed on its periphery, it will be apparent that the overlapped strap ends 3 and 4 will be effectively gripped and engaged between the gripper 5 (through its toothed plate 20) and the toothed surface of wheel 6.

In the operation of the tool, as the feed.

wheel forces the top strap end in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1), the wheel 6 tends to roll to the right, thus sliding the whole tool to the right on the box Fig. 1. 'This produces a pull of the lower strap end on the grip 5, pulling this member to theleft relatively tolthe tool (Fig. 1). Since the gripper 5 is hung eccentrically with respect to the central shaft 13, the gripper 5 and the periphery of the feed wheel 6 will be forced continually into tighter engagement as the stretching progresses. In other words, the tool issupported at its forward end. on a sort "of rocking foot comprising the gripper 5, adapted to cooperate with,

he relatively stationary feed wheel to grip v the strap, and the tension of the lower strap pum ling operations of the handle 7, the re-' on the rocking foot causes'the latter to -bind' of the disadvanta inherent in the use of heavy springs or 1. like.

To hold the grip er normally lightly in engagement with t e feed wheel 6, I provi e a ,spring 25 mounted on a lug 26 secured on the plate and bearing against the rear of one of the arms 17. [This engageinent may immediately be released by the operators pushing with his thumbfon the extension 18 when it is desired to apply the tool to the strap. in releasing the tool from the strap, even when the same has been stretched, the operator merely pushes forwardlv on the projection 18, and lifts the tool slightly at the same time (though the latter movement is not. necessary), whereupon the grip will at once he released and the tool can be removed. Since the spring I '26 is light the releasing operation is very of all the pressure on simple. It does not require the overcoming the strap ends as in the case where the grip is efiected by the di rect action of a-spring.

cured by-the interior split collar and screw I. will now describe the means for. intermittently rotating the feed wheel 6:Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, rotatably mounted upon the shaft 13' and secured thereon as by the nut 30 is the disk 31, from which extends the integral arm 32, to which is secured the handle 7 the handle being seapparatus indicated at 3334 to permit relacement .by' a handle of another length.

w-w a roller clutch. The disk .31 has formed integrally with it the cylindrical ha 35, in which is inset the hardened ring 35', which encloses the ratchet clutch memwedging action) will her 36 having teeth 37 while in therecesses of the clutch member 36 are interposed the rollers 38. Thus, for. every downward (clooise, Fig.1) movement of the handle 'i (Fig. l)"t he rollers 38 (by a wellknown cause a partial rota-- tion of. the ratchet clutch member 36,,while the handle may he moved in the other direction to any extent without afiecting the ratchet clutch member. The clutch mem'- her 36' is secured in on a squared portion 39 of the central she 95- 13 so that the rotation I of the clutch member 36 rotates'the shaft 39 and therefore of course rotates the, feed wheel 6 welded upon said shaft.

flares I ring 43' overlying the clutch member t1,

Inorder a provide hold-back means to hold the strap under whatever tension 'has been atted during the return stroke of the. handle, SI- makeuse of another roller clutch. For this pu we member 41 is welded to the plate 10 concentrically with the shaft 13. The clutch member t1 has teeth 42 thereon faced oppositely .to the teeth;

37 ,previ'oiily described ma on the feed wheelt isacyhndrical 43 having inset therein a hardened the disk-31 and the shaft 13 l -in-' Intemenace and in the of the ratchet t1 are placed rollers at. it will be obvious that with this construction the feed wheel 6 cannot move backward inasmuch as any backward movement wil cause one or other of the rollers M to wedge upon the stationary central ratchet member 41 secured to the plate 10. Only three teeth are shown on a feed wheel 6 be rotated backwardly. It is of course obvious, however, that the teeth 42could be extended all around the ratchet 41, but for the ordinary use of the tool, teeth extending half way around the wheel are adequate and more economical.

ln the operation of the tool, the operator .by pressing the extensions 18 rocks back the arms 17 against the spring 25 so as to separatethe gripper 5 and the feed wheel '6, whereupon the tool is slipped sidewise onto the overlapped ends of the strap and (when the projections 18 are released) gri them between the toothed gripper 5 and the feed w eel 6, while a flange l1 at the; other end of the tool is laid under one of the lengths of strap, as shown in Fig. 1: The operator now starts to move the handle 7 u and down with a pumping action; at eac downward motion or the handle, the feed wheel 6 is partially rotated. The result of this willhe to feed the upper reach of strap forwardly or in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, while the lower strap end 3 is held by the gripper element 5. The resulting tensionpulls'the gripper 5 and the feed wheel 6 into tighter engagement owing to the eccentric mounting of the gripper-'5 with respect to the center of the red wheel. I

T In actual operation, it will be found that cthe tool creeps backwardly as it is used to stretch the strap since the feed wheel 6 pulls the, upper end 4 of the strap thus causing tension to be developed, tending to pull the *tion-where a reinforcing girth may-easily be applied thereto, maintainingthe actual engagement er the tool with the strap only a where the gripper 5 engagesthe lower strap, we, near its end, and expos all the t of theoverlap. The same cneepi move ment obviously causes the grip on the strap late 20 on t e lltl ire

value, because it exa ratchet cl tclr strap ends to the left "of the tool in. a posiends to become progressively tighter. To

permit this creeping movement the flange 11 is made thin and smooth upon its bottom so that it can ride readily backward under the influence of the operation of" the machine. When the stra is stretched, the ends thereof are joined by any suitable means, preferably as by a joint disclosed in Patent No. 1,252,680, granted to Ellsworth E. Flora, January 8, 1918. To remove the stretching tool, it is merely necessary to lift upward strap ends and feed them longitudinally in opposite directions, said means being adapted automatically to grip the strap ends between them with agrip varying according to the tension of the strap.

2. A stretching tool of the class described comprising a feed wheel adapted to engage and advance one end of the strap, a movable retainer to engage the other, said'retainer being adapted to move during the stretching operation.

3. A stretching tool of the class described comprising a strap feeding element and a gripping element adapted to cooperate with the strap feeding element to feed the. strap ends longitudinally relatively in opposite directions, the gripping element being movably mounted and adapted to move in the stretching operation;

4. A stretching tool of the class described comprising a strap feeding element and a gripping element adapted to cooperate with the strap feeding elementto feed thestrap ends longitudinally relatively in opposite directions the gripping element being movably mounted and adapted to move in the stretching operation, and means whereby the gripping element may be released from the strap. a

5. A stretching tool comprising a support a strap feedingmember for feeding a strap end. longitudinally, a gripping member adapted to grip thestrap in combination with the. feeding element, the gripping ele 'ment being so constructed and arranged with respect to the strap feeding element asy to maintainengagement with the strap vary ing with the tension thereof.

6. A stretching tool comprising strap engaging'means adapted. to move the strap ends relatively one past the other and to develop thereby forces tending to move the stretching said means being adapted to be forced into toollongitudinally of the strap,

tighter engagement with the strap by said forces,

7. A stretching tool" comprising a support, a strap feeding member mounted in the support, a gripper member adapted to underlie the effective portion of the strap feeding member, said gripper member being pivotally mounted on an axis oflset sideways from a position above the effective portion of, the strap feeding member- 8. A stretching tool for box strapping comprising a support, a strap feeding wheel mounted in the support, a gripping member adapted to cooperate with the strap feeding wheel and pivotal'ly mounted' on the support eccentrically with respect'to the feed ing wheel.

Ill

9. A stretching tool comprising a'sup'port,

a strap feeding wheel mounted in the support' adjacentone end thereof, said support having a footispaced from said wheel and a gripping member adapted to cooperate with said wheel and pivotally mounted on the side of the axis of said wheeltoward said foot. I

10. A stretching tool of the class described, comprising a stationary foot to support the tool at one end and a rocking foot to su )port the tool at the other end and a feeding element adapted .tocooperate-with the rocking foot.

v11. A stretching tool of the class described, comprising a stationary foot to support the 'tool at one end and a rocking foot to su port the tool at the other end and a feeding element adapted to cooperate with the rocking foot and resilient means to hold the rocking foot normallyin engagement with the feeding element.

12. A stretching tool comprising a support, a feed wheel joum a-lled in the support, a gripper pivoted to said support and cooperating with the feed wheel,'an opera. roller clutch interposed ating lever and and the feed wheel.

between the lever '13. A stretching toolcomprising a sup-,

port, a shaft journal led in the support,.a feed wheel mounted rigidly on the shaft,

.a gripper pivoted to said support and co-.

operating with the feed wheel, an operating lever journalled on the shaft and a ciutfch interposed between the lever and the s at.

14. Astretching tool comprising a support, a shaft journalled in the support, a feed wheel mounted rigidly on the shaft, a gripper pivoted to said. support and cm operating with the feed wheel, an operating lever journalled on the shaft, a clutch element rigid on the shaft and a cooperating clutch element on the operating lever.

15. A stretching tool comprising a support, a shaft-journall'ed in the support, a feed wheel mounted'rigidlyon the shaft, an operating lever journalled on the shaft.

a ratchet toothed wheel rigid on the shaft, a nge on the operetin lever'enclosin'g saii toothed wheel and re] ers inthe recesses of said toothed wheel. I

- 16. A'stretching tool comprising at support, a feed wheel jonrnalletl in the support, a 'gripper coo erating with the feedl wheel, an operating ever and a roller clutch interposed between the lever and the feed wheel, a hold back roller clutch between the support and the feed wheel to m'aintain the feed. wheel against being drawn backwardly. I p

17. A 'stretcg tool of the class described comprising a support, a gripper element mounted on the support, a shaft jonr- V nalled in the support, at feefi wheel fixed! on the shaft, an operating lever jonrnallecl on the shaft on. the side of the support opposite thefeed wheel, at roller clutch between the operating lever and the shett for intermittegn'tly rotetinw the letter, e seeondl roller clutch interposexi between the support anti to preventhachwarel rottihe teed heel e5 tion ot the feed wheel.

18hA stretching tool comprising a suplever journalled on the shaft on name to this specification.

meeeee .port, a gripper element mounte& on the support, a shaft journailed in the support, a feed wheel fixed on the shaft, an oper 'atm the side 0 wheel,

the support opposite the feed and the shaft between the operating lever a clutch for intermittently rotating the latter, a secand clutch interposed between the support and the feed wheel to prevent backward ro-.

tation of the feed wheel. 19. In a stretching tool and in combinatlon, a support, a grippingi'lelement, a feeding element, an operating andle, a pair of roller clutches one cooperating with the handie and the feedin element, the other with the support and t e feeding'element.

20. In a stretching tool .a support, a gripping element, a feed wheel, an oper ating handle, a pair of overrunning clutches,

'one of said clutches co-opereting with the co-operating with the support and the feed wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have sied my ARTHUR e. e. eelttrnnn, 

